"We need to talk."

Oh crap. Seulgi thought. "Y-yeah sure."

Irene took her hand and led her to the dorm's kitchen away from the other girls' room. It was dark but no one bothered to open the lights. She leaned her back on the counter with Seulgi standing in front of her. The latter took note of how the older girl crossed her arms: a sign of vulnerability.

"Are we okay?", Irene said in a soft voice sounding almost broken.

"I think so."

"You think so?"

"I..I mean we're okay."

"Seul! We both know that's a lie!", Irene answered back, her voice sounding a bit louder.

"Then why do you still ask?!", Seulgi countered just as loud, crossing her arms over her chest mimicking the position of the girl in front of her.

Irene could only sigh as she lowered he head.

"I miss us", she said softly. "We used to talk a lot. But now..."

Seulgi continued for her,"...but now I could barely have my usual dose of 'Irene and I time'. You are always with someone else. It makes me sound so selfish I know but whenever I reach out to link arms with you, you're already walking ahead of me, linking arms with Wendy; or before a performance whenever I wanted you to squeeze my hand you're already beside Joy squeezing hers. I do understand why because I know you're just doing exactly what is expected from you, and more. You're the leader for heaven's sake, and I could give millions of evidence to prove that you are a perfect one at that. God knows how much I try not to feel bad about what's happening but I can't bring myself to NOT feel a thing. I miss you so bad it hurts. I miss you THAT bad that a glance from you eventually began to make my day." She doesn't know when it started but tears are now flowing continuously from her eyes.

Irene uncrossed her arms and reached out to wipe the tears from Seulgi's cheeks.

"Seul..."

The girl just looked down and continued to cry so Irene cupped her cheeks and made her look up. "Babe, look at me."

Seulgi felt her heart flatter at the term of endearment used.

"I'm sorry. I've always believed you can handle yourself best. Among the four of us, you're always the one who take criticisms really well. So I thought, Wendy and Joy needed me more. I.."

"But I don't need you. I WANT you!", Seulgi said, her voice cracking more and more by the second.

"Honey, I know. That's why I'm sorry, because I stopped being your best frie..."

This girl really needs to stop with the 'babe' or 'honey' thing otherwise I wouldn't be able to stop myself from kissing her. Seulgi thought. Wait. No. Why would I kiss my best friend? That'll be weird. It's not like I like her that way. Or maybe I do? I mean what?

"...so from now on I'll do better trying to balance stuff." Irene's voice pulled her out of her internal debate. The girl is looking back at her with a small smile although her eyes are still b with tears.

She doesn't know what's gotten into her but she does know that she wasn't thinking when she pulled Irene by the waist and brought her closer. With their faces only a couple of inches apart, Seulgi hoped Irene couldn't hear her heart beating so loud at a rapid pace.

She stared at dark chocolate eyes that stared back at her hazel ones with as much adoration, and she slowly let herself get pulled in. Her breath hitched when she could literally feel the other girl's breath on her lips.

"Unnie?"

The two Red Velvet members jumped out of their previous position quick enough before the lights were turned back on.

They saw a half-asleep Joy standing just a few steps away, hugging her pillow.

"Oh. Irene-unnie you're still awake too? What are you doing?", the maknae asked innocently.

"Uhm.. We're just eating!", Seulgi said sounding a bit too excited.

Irene tried hard not to facepalm herself at her best friend's lame excuse.

"But where's the food?"

"The food..", Seulgi glanced over to the leader for help.

"The food is already eaten", Irene finished. "We're just going back to our rooms before you got here."

The youngest member seemed to accept that as she nodded and went back to bed while the two other girls were left in the kitchen still trying to process everything.

Irene was the one to break the silence. "Eating? Really?"

-

Neither girls talked about what happened that night. Probably both having the fear of having to talk about feelings and their relationship. They just fell back into their old routine as best friends, and Seulgi was more than happy to take that.

They were at the airport waiting for the check-in counters to open.

She was watching Wendy and Joy as they were talking animatedly about Canada.

"Hey." She heard as a hand slipped into hers.

She looked to her side and smiled. "Hey back."

"Should've had my hair tied up in a bun like yours", Irene said with a pout.

"I like your hair down so that's okay", Seulgi said as she gave the leader a gentle pat on the head.

"You like my hair in general."

"I like you in general", Seulgi said before she could stop herself.

Irene got caught off-guard by that but regained herself in no more than a split-second. "Awwwww", she said as blush slowly creeps up her cheeks. "I like myself too", she teased.

"Wrong answer! You're supposed to say 'I like you too'."

"But I don't like you."

Seulgi froze. She totally wasn't expecting that. She knew the leader was just messing with her but that didn't stop the pain that she felt from the comment. She started to walk away and Irene started to follow so she quickened her pace.

"Seulgi-jagiyah!"

She keeps walking and saw Wendy removing something from Joy's hair. She walked 'round them with Irene still trying to catch up with her.

"Seul... I was kidding."

She was still walking but she completely forgot that Irene is quicker than her so she was surprised when the said girl caught her in a hug.

"You didn't even let me finish. I don't like you. I love you."

Seulgi's ears perked upon hearing the word love.

"You.. you l-love me?", she asked.

Irene's eyebrows rose as if she had just been asked what seem to be the most ridiculous question she had ever heard. "Of course, I love you! You're my bestest friend in the whole world!"

Seulgi's heart sank at that. Of course. Best friend.

She looked at Irene and saw the bright smile being thrown her way as the girl leaned her head on her shoulder.

She took in the smell of vanilla and lavender. I guess that's better than nothing. She thought.

"I love you too", Seulgi mumbled. More than I'm supposed to.

-

A/N:

Thanks for all the comments and subscribers and readers!